The Chem Chem Safaris operating in Northern Tanzania is one of the three tourism entities in the country that have emerged winners of the maiden African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) for Action Awards.
Chem Chem Safaris, based within the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem won in the ‘Heart for Heritage and Community Champion,’ category.
Designed to inspire meaningful impact in tourism across Africa, the ATTA® for Action Awards was crafted by the African Travel and Tourism Association and announced in London, UK during the Experience Africa travel trade show event on the first day of July 2024.
The Heart for Heritage and Community Champion Award which went to Chem Chem Safaris showcases exceptional leadership in heritage-focused African tourism, and a corporate culture of community, empowerment and inclusivity within internal teams.
The firm operates three exclusive safari camps in the 50,000-acre Burunge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) striding Arusha and Manyara regions.
Burunge Wildlife Management Area’s land belongs to the communities around Chem Chem who have set it aside for conservation and wildlife protection.
The Burunge Wildlife Management Area, on the other hand, is made up of ten villages including Mwada, Ngolei, Sangaiwe, Kakoi, Minjingu, Olasiti, Maweni, Magara, Manyara and Vilima Viatu.
“It’s amazing to see how Chem Chem acknowledges that successful conservation requires community involvement. Their impact report highlights impressive numbers, showcasing their intertwined efforts for both conservation protection and community empowerment,” commented the Judge.
The Saruni Basecamp of Kenya and Desert & Delta Safaris in Botswana, were the finalists in the category.
The Chem Chem Association’s General Manager, Clever Zulu said mutual cooperation between the firm, local communities and other conservation entities contributed to their winning.
“Chem Chem believes in team work and always cooperates with villagers, the Tanzania National Parks, Wildlife Authorities and National Wildlife Research Institute,” Zulu added.
Peter Corneli is the Head of services Department at Chem Chem who points out that local communities have realized the importance of conservation because of benefits realized from such activities.
The Burunge Wildlife Management Secretary, Benson Mwaise said the victory was deserved because Chem Chem has always been at forefront in advocating for community development through conservation.
Other winners of the first ATTA for Action Awards hailed from Kenya, Namibia and the United Kingdom.
Tanzania had three winning entries with the other two including the Chumbe Island Coral Park in Zanzibar which bagged the ‘Ethical Wildlife Experience,’ accolade.
On the other hand, the Lemala Camps and Lodges of Serengeti won the ‘Earth-Friendly Cuisine,’ award from the maiden ATTA for Action event.
Elsewhere in Africa, the African Monarch Lodges – The Sijwa Project of Namibia managed to win in the ‘Meaningful Engagement Champion,’ award category.
The Gamewatchers Safari and Porini Camps of Kenya won in the ‘Collaborative Champions of Climate and Social Justice,’ category while the other Kenyan firm, Let’s Go Travel Uniglobe won in the ‘Traveller Education and Awareness Champion,’ award category.
The Asilia Africa of the United Kingdom, earned the ‘Eco-Innovation in Hospitality,’ merit; while the How Many Elephants, also in the United Kingdom, won in the category of ‘Digital Storytelling Champion,’ award.
ATTA President, Nigel Vere Nicoll, said they received an overwhelming number of excellent applications for the inaugural awards.
“We are grateful to all those who whole-heartedly supported this initiative. We are impressed by the commitment of so many within the tourism industry to impact conservation and communities, and we sincerely hope that the work of the winners and finalists will be inspirational to many,” Nicoll stated.
ATTA® for Action is a conscious collaboration for Non-Government Organization projects and the Africa tourism supply chain.
According to the organizers the aim is to leverage collective expertise to address the unique challenges faced by local communities and the tourism supply chain and drive meaningful impact in the communities across the African continent.
The award event was sponsored by Botswana Tourism Organization. Eight categories formed the basis of the awards. Each category had specific criteria which were reviewed by a panel of judges.